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Building in France - at last !!!
We spent over 3 years and thousands of Euros trying to get planning permission for what our architect called "Le petite Chateau". Eventually, after much argument we gave up on the "Petite Chateau" and had to settle for a smaller house with a few out buildings - "La petite village" as our architect calls it! It is not ideal since everything is spread out, and what was originally designed as a guest house, (the bit we live in now), has become part of the main house! However, we at least get more living space, superb views, a south facing house, a new pool room/gym, 2 new artists studios for Jill, an office for me and a lot of exercise just getting around! We got the planning permission 2 years ago and had to start building before this December. We had spoken to lots of builders and had several quotes. The quotations were ridiculously high - up to 1/2 million euros to produce a house that probably wouldn't be worth that much - the local French builders think the English are stupid and rich so add 50% to all their standard quotations. I am afraid that the former is true of many English who have come here to live in the last few years - they have pushed up prices through their ignorance - although the latter is far from true, the ones I meet seem to be getting poorer by the day!
Anyway after investigating many ways to get the job done I eventually settled for starting my own building company and employing Slovakian builders. (I was able to do this because one of my engineers is Slovakian, very well educated and very able. He recruited the builders for me.)
I bought a little truck and all the equipment in the UK, and Chris and I drove down via Luxembourg and Chateau Neuf du Pape at the beginning of September. Building commenced on 16th September when a team of 4 joined my Slovakian Engineer and me.
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Dover truckers park - Chris posing as a trucker complete with the Sun
Right - Uncle Chris getting a lesson in baby holding from Mummy Danielle |
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The truck loaded with extra kit outside Laurent & Danielle's house in Boudler - ready for the long haul to Monleon Magnoac via Chateau Neuf du Pape |
Building Operations
It has been an interesting exercise. We have just one man who speaks a little English. This has been made trickier by recruiting a local digger driver who is German and speaks some French and a few English words. Naturally all suppliers and delivery drivers are French. Our architect is French and speaks no English whatsoever. I speak Scouse and "O" level (failed 3 times) French. So you can image the communications problems we face. Fortunately Jill speaks reasonably fluent French and I have found a local builders merchants who speaks good English.
Despite all this, and a few near disasters (including Nearly crushing a Frenchman to death - he was about 10 cms away from anialation by JCB), we are about 1/2 way through the building programme. We have two buildings, the lake, drive and paths nearing completion, and the main house extension up to the first floor. We anticipate being finished by Easter. All this despite the architects drawings being incorrect with wrong levels, incorrect door dimensions and wrong roofs and tiles. The real crunch came when we discovered that he had asked for planning permission with the wrong tiles, and we in our ignorance had gone to a lot of trouble and expense to match the existing tiles. At one stage it looked as though we would have to remove about 5,000 Euro's worth of roof - fortunately Batiment de France saw the stupidity of non-matching tiles and agreed to the ones we had used. The other major problem was that he had got his ground levels wrong which meant my having to redesign the 1st floor construction to comply with French building regulations regarding head space. Luckily I used to own a building company back in the 80's and have designed and built a few houses so I redesigned the floors and roof construction - hopefully it will work? We have fired our architect and are now dealing with Batiment de France directly.
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The Site - New buildings shown in yellow
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The building crew - Lucas, Miro, Roman & Igor (the Slovaks) with Mikael (Our German digger driver) in his cab. |
Demolishing the old barn/garage |
The swimming pool prior to the walls being built |
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One of several concrete mixer trips to lay the wall and building foundations |
The pool wall takes shape |
The pool area prior rendering of the walls and tiling |
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The pool terracing taking shape |
Verdun re-visited - the site after a rare down pour |
We start on the garden building |
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Fort Quigley? No the garden building taking shape
Right - The garden building awaiting rendering - it contains a garage, Jill's main studio, an office/guest room and a summer kitchen. |
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The main house is up to the first floor
Right - digging the foundations for the main extension |
The extension and garden wall from the front entrance |
The lake dug out and taking shape - it's to be modelled on Monet's lake at Giverny |
Danielle & Laurent get married
Having had their baby in June - Dani & Laurent decided to get married on Danielle's birthday weekend 7th October - not the way we did things, but apparently quite acceptable by today's young. Danielle's logic was that she didn't want to get married before the baby was born as she couldn't enjoy the party. Furthermore by combining the wedding, baptism and birthday party she saved herself and the guests lots of time and money!!
Dani and Laurent had been living together for about 2 years. They had known each other for about 7 years as they had both worked for Nomura in Luxembourg. Laurent is Belgian and left Nomura a few years ago to become a director of a Swiss Investment Bank. They continue to live in the little village of Boudler in the house that Danielle had built some 5 years ago after she had found the land. It is a fantastic site for their first home being within 10 minutes drive of the Mosel and all it's wineries and 20 minutes from the city.
The wedding, baptism and party were superb in true Danielle style - she & Laurent arrived 1/2 hour late at the local Mairie for the official wedding ceremony, 3/4 hour late for the blessing and baptism in her local church (about 50 metres from her house), but what a party! Dani wanted it at home so they turned their garage into a kitchen (it is a 5 car garage with tiled floor), had a marquee on the back lawn. They had over 100 guests and the party went on for two days - Saturday and Sunday.
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Above - The local Mayor conducting the official marriage ceremony
Right - Danielle & Laurent pose in front of their wedding car - Danielle's old MG |
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After the blessing in the local church Laurent seals his fate and places
the ring on Dani's finger
Right - Mr & Mrs Bruelet-Quigley in front of the altar |
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Left - After the marriage the baptism - 3 month old India gets a soaking Right - Dad & Mum with India and God Parents Letty and Laurent |
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The dining/dancing tent in Dani's Graden |
Pouring the Champagne on the verandah |
Some danced 'til they dropped! |
For more wedding photographs click here
Taken by LWQ on Christmas morning
We hadn't been home since the beginning of September, but were going home on 27th December for one week. At the time of finishing this diary/newsletter we were at Danielle and Laurent's in Luxembourg for another Christmas with the two families. This year we are had a continental style Christmas with the big meal and present opening on Christmas Eve. As usual the food produced by Laurent and Danielle would have graced the Ritz - it took us over 6 hours to get through all the courses!
It was off to Laurent's home town Ciné, in Belgium, on Christmas day for a party. We stayed in one of Dani & Laurent's friends house and had a superb Boxing day Raclette lunch with Jean-Claude and Danielle Bruelet, Laurent's parents. After all the partying, food and drink, we have planned a quiet New Year with Karl, Dick and Shireen.
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Jill & Les tucking into some delicious hot soup in Luxembourg's Christmas market (Air temperature -4)
Centre - The family minus me Chris, Jill, Dani Q-B, Laurent, Dani B, Jean-Claude. |
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Grandma giving India her first G & T! |
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India joins us for Christmas Eve dinner |
The 3rd course - Fois gras |
4th course - Soupe de coquille Saint Jaques |
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Left - Partying in
Ciné - Chris, Jill, Les & Jean Claude
Right - Two proud and happy grand dads with baby India |
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At the time of completing this Jill and I are back home in England for the New Year. After over 100 days away it is a pleasure to be back even though the weather is a bit crook - France is fine for the holidays and a beak, but there is nothing like being home. Unfortunately we have to return on the 5th January for another 3 months to see the end of our building programme - as soon as it is done we are planning to come home for a rest and then, in May/June, take off around the world again but this time staying in the Northern hemisphere. So those of you who live there expect us to drop in one day to see you!
One final word about Chris since not much has been said about him in this diary. Chris (29) is still building up his business empire based on the film company "Rubberductions" which he and two fellow ex-Bristol University students set up when they left university in 2000. There main company has now been re-branded as "Team Rubber" and incorporates, three other companies - Rubberductions, Delib, Rubber Republic. If you need their services and want further information on what they offer go to http://www.teamrubber.com/ . He also has two other businesses (that we know of) - the first "Socks for Sir" is the ideal site for upmarket presents - go to http://www.socksforsir.com/ - the 2nd was set up by him and his girl friend Catherine. They are writing a series of young children's books called "Mr Giffles". Chris is doing the writing and Catherine the illustrations. The first book is published and is dedicated to baby India - all you grandparents out there who want to send a present to your grand children will find it at http://www.lulu.com/content/1250089 . Naturally we wish Chris and Catherine success with this and all future books in the series.
We hope to see more of our readers this coming year - we have only a limited number of summers left (that's why we normally double them by going to the southern hemisphere for the winter) so make the best of yours and come and see us in France or Yorkshire....
Jill & Les wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year
